ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Pinellas County Health Department is offering free dental care for hundreds of kids ages 4 to 18 who receive Medicaid or have no insurance.
No pre-registration is required. Dentists will see children on a first-come, first-served basis at three different locations until all slots are filled:
- St. Petersburg: 205 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N.
- Mid-County: 8751 Ulmerton Rd., Largo.
- Clearwater: 310 N. Myrtle Ave.
Doors open at 8: 00 a.m.
If your kids are nervous about seeing the dentist you can tell them Monday is for exams and X-rays. If a follow-up procedure is needed due to cavities or an abscess, you will be scheduled for a free second appointment for Saturday, February 24.
“I think a lot of people don’t realize how important baby teeth are,” says Karen Hodge, the dental service manager for the Florida Department of Health, Pinellas County. “They feel like they’re going to fall out anyway so why should I bother taking care of them.”
Right now, about one in five kids are walking around with untreated tooth decay.
